Tuesday, March 29, 2005

Liverpool shows how travellers can live in harmony

The travellers were willing to pay whatever it took for facilities that other citizens consider their right, said Dawn Taylor, Liverpool council's service manager for Gypsies and travellers, who co-ordinated the project. "It was a bit of a shock to some," Ms Taylor said. "But our message was 'welcome to the real world'. It's a balance between rights and responsibilities." That means there is more pressure to earn money on men such as Paddy O'Driscoll, 50, one of the residents, who says he has driven "any lorry that's going" over the years to bring in some income and lists tree-topping and gardening among other occupations.